New COVID-19 booster approved by FDA. Here’s who can get it, where it’s available in Boise

Shaun Goodwin
·3 min read
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new COVID-19 vaccine booster Monday, designed to fight new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus more effectively. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended Tuesday that all people ages 6 month and up get the updated booster ahead of the winter.

The new boosters, manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer, are designed to combat the latest Omicron variant of the virus. The United States has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks, with an 8.7% rise in hospitalizations and a 10.5% increase in deaths in the week ending with Sept. 2, according to the CDC.

The vaccinations will be available to the public later this week, according to the CDC.

Here’s what to know about the new booster shots and where to get them in Boise.

Who can get the new booster?

The CDC expects the approved boosters to be effective against the circulating variants of COVID-19, but the FDA warns that vaccines may have to be updated annually, similar to the influenza vaccine.

Here’s who can take the newly approved boosters and how many are required:

  • Individuals 5 years and older, regardless of previous vaccination history, are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated vaccine at least two months after their last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Children between 6 months and 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated are eligible to receive one or two doses of the updated vaccine. The timing and number of doses depend on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received, which your doctor should know.

  • Unvaccinated children between 6 months and 4 years of age can receive three doses of the Pfizer vaccine or two doses of the Moderna vaccine. The first two doses are administered three weeks apart, and the third dose, if necessary, is administered at least eight weeks after the second dose.

Where can you get a booster in Boise?

Although the newest boosters are not yet available, most retail pharmacies and facilities associated with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare offer COVID-19 boosters.

The federal website Vaccines.gov lets users input their ZIP code and which manufacturer’s brand of booster they want. The Treasure Valley has 50 locations offering the vaccine. Some of the locations around the Boise area that are offering vaccines include, but are not limited to:

Where can you get COVID-19 tests in Boise?

While the boosters will protect against the most severe symptoms of COVID-19, it’s still possible to pick up the virus and come down ill for a couple of days. If you suspect you have COVID-19, in-person and at-home testing options around the Treasure Valley exist.

The IDHW has an online tool to find testing sites near your location. IDHW warns that you should call before arriving at a location in case testing is no longer offered and the website’s data is outdated. In-person testing costs money but is often covered by health insurance plans.

The following locations around Boise are offering in-person COVID tests:

At-home tests are available from several local pharmacies, including Rite Aid and Walgreens. A single antigen test from Flowflex is available at Rite Aid for $9.99, while two-count packs of antigen tests from BinaxNOW are available for $23.99 at most pharmacies.